Breast Cancer Screening in Nunavut

Breast Cancer Screening
in Nunavut

Discuss

Your voice matters in your health care decisions. All women have a right to accurate and current information.

To have an informed discussion with your health care provider, it is important to distinguish the facts from misinformation about the benefits and limitations of mammograms. Here are the facts based on current evidence:

Decide

Making a choice about breast screening over the age of 40 is your decision.

When discussing your risk factors and the benefits and limitations of mammograms with your health care provider, it’s also important to consider your values and preferences.

The 5 statements below give you a chance to think about the importance of early detection for you.

Consider each value statement using the following options:

Strongly Agree, Agree, Neutral, Disagree, Strongly Disagree

  1. It’s important to me to find cancer early in the hopes of treating it sooner rather than later.
  2. I’m not very worried about being asked to return for additional images or follow-up tests.
  3. Since it’s impossible to differentiate between cancers that are harmless or not harmless, I’m willing to accept that I may be treated for a cancer that might never become a problem if left untreated.
  4. I'm willing to do anything to avoid harsh medical treatments that would reduce the quality of my life.
  5. I’m very worried about my chances of getting breast cancer.

Considering your answers
If you agree with most of the value statements, the benefits of mammograms outweigh the limitations for you. Take control of your health by knowing your options and making the decision that is right for you.

What you can say to your health care provider

Resources

If you would like a mammogram, your health care provider will book it for you.